A Closer Look at Hydrotherapy for Rehabilitation
Posted
By using the properties of water, patients with certain conditions can benefit from muscle relaxation, improved joint range of motion, muscle tone, strength, and endurance
The use of water as a therapeutic modality in veterinary practice is becoming commonplace, but the therapeutic properties of water have been used in the human and animal worlds for hundreds of years. The Greeks were using public baths in 500 BC and the Romans had heated bathhouses in 350 AD. Arctic monkeys realized that during the winter, the hot springs kept them warm.
Hydrotherapy, a term used when water is a therapeutic modality,1 covers the use of exercises, such as swimming, and walking on an underwater treadmill.2
By using the properties of water, for conditions identified as pre- and postsurgical, neurologic, and orthopedic, as well as conditioning, patients can benefit from muscle relaxation, improved joint range of motion, muscle tone, strength, and endurance.3